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Biological Effects of High-Voltage Electric Fields: An Update Volume 1

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Authors not listed · 1979

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This 1979 EPRI bibliography documented early scientific evidence of biological effects from high-voltage electric fields around power lines.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1979 EPRI technical report compiled research on biological effects from high-voltage electric fields, focusing on extremely low frequency (ELF) exposures from power lines. As a bibliography and update, it documented the state of scientific knowledge about how electrical fields from power transmission systems might affect living organisms. This type of comprehensive review was crucial for understanding early evidence of potential health effects from electrical infrastructure.

Why This Matters

This 1979 bibliography represents a pivotal moment in EMF research history. The Electric Power Research Institute was systematically documenting biological effects from high-voltage electric fields just as concerns about power line health effects were emerging. What makes this significant is the timing - this was compiled during the early years of serious scientific inquiry into whether the electrical fields surrounding our power infrastructure could affect human health.

The reality is that high-voltage power lines create electric fields that can be thousands of times stronger than typical household exposures. While we're surrounded by 60 Hz electric fields from wiring and appliances in our homes, living near transmission lines means exposure to field strengths that dwarf everyday sources. This early documentation effort helped establish the foundation for decades of research that followed.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Unknown (1979). Biological Effects of High-Voltage Electric Fields: An Update Volume 1.
Show BibTeX
@article{biological_effects_of_high_voltage_electric_fields_an_update_volume_1_g4950,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {Biological Effects of High-Voltage Electric Fields: An Update Volume 1},
  year = {1979},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

This EPRI bibliography compiled existing research on biological responses to high-voltage electric fields, though specific effects aren't detailed in available metadata. The document served as a comprehensive review of early scientific literature on power line field exposures.
High-voltage transmission lines can create electric fields measuring thousands of volts per meter directly underneath, compared to typical household electric fields of just a few volts per meter from normal wiring and appliances.
The Electric Power Research Institute compiled this review as scientific concerns about power line health effects were emerging. It represented an early systematic effort to document what was known about biological responses to electrical infrastructure.
High-voltage power lines generate electric field strengths that can be orders of magnitude higher than typical home exposures. The fields also extend much further from the source, potentially affecting larger areas around transmission corridors.
This bibliography helped establish the scientific foundation for decades of subsequent power line health research. It documented early biological effects evidence that informed later epidemiological studies linking power line proximity to childhood leukemia and other health concerns.